Yu Ling Wu Is The “Fun-Sized Firecracker” Of The Circle Season 4

Winning The Circle requires having both social media savvy and a fun, likable personality — and Season 4 contestant Yu Ling Wu is certain she has both in spades. Describing herself as a “fun-sized firecracker,” Yu Ling stands at under 5 feet tall but brings a ton of charisma to the season. “I’m first-and-a-half-gen Chinese American, and because both my parents are immigrants, they were always working to make sure there was food on the table,” Yu Ling explains in her Episode 1 introduction. “So I would say that I was raised culturally by MTV and VH1.”

While there’s always at least one catfish in the group, Yu Ling proudly announces she’s going into The Circle as herself: “Honestly I wouldn’t want to play anybody else.” She’s also the first to send a message to The Circle’s group chat, leading to other players noting that she “really bring[s] that energy” and is probably “exactly who she says she is.”

Here’s everything else to know about the 25-year-old from San Francisco.

Yu Ling’s Job

As she explains in her introduction, Yu Ling is a social media and brand marketing consultant. “I live and breathe social media. I love to make connections with other people digitally,” she says.

Per her LinkedIn, Yu Ling is currently self-employed and works with a variety of brands, including Hilma (a digestive health medicine producer), High Line (a payments platform), and Lazy Sundaes (an Asian drink shop). Before that, Yu Ling was the social media manager of The Wing, a co-working space for women, and a barista for the popular Bay Area boba chain Boba Guys. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The New School in New York City.

Yu Ling’s Instagram

Yu Ling has over 17,000 followers on her Instagram. She describes herself as an “Irrelevant Broke Asian™,” in her bio and uses her platform to show off her technicolor makeup looks and matching colorful ’fits. She often uses her page to be a brand ambassador for several companies, including Savage X Fenty, the earring company Studs, and sex toys brand Dame. She’s also used her page to talk about important issues, like getting the COVID-19 vaccine — “the only side effect I see with the vaccine? Becoming 10xs hotter,” she joked in a November 2021 post — and hitting back at “cishet men who randomly decided to bombard me with their unsolicited opinions” about how a woman should dress, as she wrote in an August 2021 post.

Yu Ling’s Strategy

Yu Ling knows that her real job will likely come in handy on The Circle. And she also plans on using being “a Gen Z-millennial cusp” to her advantage. “Millennials are kind of burned out and jaded, but Gen Z is super excited, positive,” she explains in the premiere episode. “So I’ll be relatable, but also hilarious. I don’t think I’ve ever been more ready for anything.”